United Methodist Questions & Answers

United Methodist Questions, United Methodist Answers
Exploring Christian Faith
by F. Belton Joyner Jr.

This is wonderful! If you've been looking for a book to explain United Methodists' faith, views, beliefs, history, etc.

Table of Contents

I. God
1. How do we know God?
2. Who is the Trinity?
3. WHat is the practical meaning of belief in the Trinity?
4. Why does God allow suffering?
5. Is it OK to call God "Father"?
6. What do United Methodists believe about evolution?

II. Jesus Christ
7. What does "incarnation" mean?
8. Was Jesus really born of a virgin?
9. Where was Jesus when the world was created?
10. Why did Jesus have to die?
11. What is the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus?
12. Will Jesus come again?

III. Holy Spirit
13. What does the Holy Spirit have to do with Jesus?
14. What is the Holy Spirit's work within the church?
15. What is the Holy Spirit's work outside the church?
16. What is the unforgivable sin against the Holy Spirit?
17. What role does speaking in tongues have in United Methodism?
18. What are the gifts of the Spirit?

IV. Humanity
19. What does it mean to say that people are created in the image of God?
20. Are people good or bad?
21. What is original sin?
22. Do people have free will?
23. Can a person really become perfect?
24. What happens when we die?

V. Salvation
25. What is prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace?
26. What about repentance?
27. Can a person backslide?
28. What does it mean to be born again?
29. What do good works have to do with salvation?
30 Who can be saved?

VI. Church
31. What is the nature of the church?
32. What is the mission of the church?
33. What are the creeds of the church?
34. Who are the clergy?
35. What is the role of laypersons?
36. What is connectionalism?

VII. Worship and Sacraments
37. How do UM worship?
38. Is it a table or an altar?
39. How often do UM take communion and other questions?
40. What about infant baptism?
41. Can I be rebaptized?
42. What's with all this singing?

VIII. Bible
43. What is the Bible's authority?
44. Why do we call the Bible, "God's Word"?
45. Is the Bible infalliable?
46. How do I read the Bible?
47. Why do Christian disagree on what the Bible means?
48. Why follow the lectionary?

VIIII. Theology
49. How do UM do theology?
50. Are UM liberal or conservative?
51. Why be concerned about theology?
52. Why is education so important to UM?
53. How does UM theology differ from other theologies?
54. Why are UM so exercised about homos#xuality?

X. Christian Life
55. What are the means of grace?
56. What are the works of mercy?
57. What about prayer?
58. What about healing?
59. Why be involved in justice?
60 Why does it make a difference how I live my life?

XI. Reign of God
61. What and where is the kingdom of God?
62. Why is what I think about the future important?
63. What is the nature of heaven?
64. What is the nature of hell?
65. What do UM teach about sin?
66. What will happen at the end of the world?

XII. History and Heritage
67. Who was John Wesley (and who were all those others)?
68. What are the different types of Methodists?
69. How did UM get to the United States?
70. Who were Francis Asbury and Christian Newcomer and Harry Hosier?
71. Who was Marjorie Matthews?
72. How do UM get along with others?

XIII. Polity
73. What is The Book of Discipline?
74. What is a conference?
75. What is the trust clause?
76. How are bishops chosen and what do they do?
77. What are chargeable offenses?
78. Why do the preachers move so often (and other questions that didn't fit in anywhere else)?

List of Hymns Quoted - This is great for those that wish to learn hymns alongside your studies!
For Further Reading

This book is brief and well-focused, it's not political and defuses acrimonious debates simply. It is perfect for United Methodist parents to use with their children at any time there is a question or as a 4th grade and up tool. There are not "homeschool" products for United Methodists so many, like me choose to use non-denominational products like Explorer's Bible study. EBS is fine for learning about the Bible but to learn what it means to be an United Methodist, there needs to be more.

The pamphlets at the church may be useful as well but for $10.36 at Amazon, the "spine" of studying United Methodism is right here. The author teaches Methodist history and Wesleyan theology at Duke Divinity School and has written other books.